PATRICK VIEIRA admits he is beginning to suspect there is a conspiracy to stop Manchester City winning the title this season.

The ex-City midfielder — now an executive and ambassador at the Etihad — has been shocked by the decisions to go against the league leaders in 2012.

Notably skipper Vincent Kompany was given a four-match ban for his tackle on Nani in the FA Cup tie with Manchester United last month.

Then Mario Balotelli was hit with the same punishment retrospectively for his stamp on Tottenham's Scott Parker later in January.

French legend Vieira, 35, said: "I don't want to think about it because I don't want to say that everyone is against City or anything like that.

"But when you look at the last few decisions, you are asking yourself if something is wrong here, if people don't want us to win the league.

"We try our best to win the league, we accept our punishment. But when you look what is happening to the other ones, that makes us as a football club really frustrated.

"The one for Kompany was one of the harshest decisions I've ever seen in the last few months."

While City's players have been clobbered for their crimes, they have been surprised to see players from other teams go unpunished.

Liverpool's Glen Johnson escaped for his two-footed lunge on Joleon Lescott in last month's Carling Cup tie.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto was also let off the hook for an over-the-ball tackle on Wigan's Franco di Santo recently.

Chelsea's Frank Lampard got away with one similar while the FA review panel failed to throw the book at Peter Crouch for an eye-gouging incident.

Vieira added: "Frank Lampard's tackle looked dangerous compared to Vincent's. Crouch, when he put his finger in the eye of another player, looked bad as well.

"It felt like that anything that City will do will be amplified and we get punished, compared to the other teams and the other players.

"When you see the last few decisions and everything is against us, compared to the other ones.

"It seems like if you have one referee you get one decision but if you have a different referee the decision may also be different.

"It's difficult to understand some decisions compared to the decisions we had. I think this is what brings the confusion. The confusion is dangerous for our game."


The former Arsenal hero was known for his tackling combative style during his pomp and admits he would be looking at red cards on a regular basis these days.

He said: "Ten years ago the game was much more physical than it is now. I remember the tackles that were happening when I was playing for Arsenal.

"If that one for Vincent was a red card there would have been a sending off in every game I played for Arsenal.

"Now it looks like you cannot tackle anymore. The refereeing body has to be really careful to not kill the passion of the game."

Vieira also critisised Howard Webb for claiming he failed to see the Balotelli incident — despite being stood so close by.

That meant the FA could throw the book at the Italian and Vieira said: "Mario didn't get sent off at the time.

"But when you look at the position of the referee and you say 'how couldn't he see it?'

"That puts the integrity of the referee in danger because people say 'the referee has seen it', and other people say 'obviously he didn't see it'.

"I think this is the danger of not letting the referee just be a referee."

I agree with all of his comments.

The former Arsenal hero

Least they got that part right......

Lex wrote:

The former Arsenal hero

Least they got that part right......

Agreed. Shut the hell up, Vieira.

For real Vieira?

I'm afraid I sort of agree with him especially with Kompany red-card...

Be/\/ceCALI wrote:

Lex wrote:

The former Arsenal hero

Least they got that part right......

Agreed. Shut the hell up, Vieira.

Over-reacting much? It's something commonly said by players and managers even if they don't necessary believe it.

El Chelsea Fuerte wrote:Over-reacting much?

I guess... I even agree with him that Kompany's red card was harsh, but I just don't like him. Then he says:

"We try our best to win the league, we accept our punishment. But when you look what is happening to the other ones, that makes us as a football club really frustrated."

What a joke. It's not like other top teams don't get stupid calls against them. Plus, what the hell has he done with/for City aside from convincing Nasri to go there?..most likely nothing. Traitor.

Yeah, all this talk of "we" and "us" from Vieira, as if he's been there for the bulk of his career. He was there for a McVities biscuit and cup of coco, now he's the ambassador and grand poobah of Manchester City. Just comes off as incredibly tacky

Patrick Viera become irrelevant as soon as he left Arsenal.

Great player, but I have more respect for Gilberto Silva, FFS.

Be/\/ceCALI wrote:

El Chelsea Fuerte wrote:Over-reacting much?

I guess... I even agree with him that Kompany's red card was harsh, but I just don't like him. Then he says:

"We try our best to win the league, we accept our punishment. But when you look what is happening to the other ones, that makes us as a football club really frustrated."

What a joke. It's not like other top teams don't get stupid calls against them. Plus, what the hell has he done with/for City aside from convincing Nasri to go there?..most likely nothing. Traitor.

Traitor? Seriously? You should be giving him legendary status for convincing City to cough up £25m for Nasri

Lex wrote:Yeah, all this talk of "we" and "us" from Vieira, as if he's been there for the bulk of his career. He was there for a McVities biscuit and cup of coco, now he's the ambassador and grand poobah of Manchester City. Just comes off as incredibly tacky

Hate to break it out to you but he ain't a Gunner anymore...he's their executive of course he's going to be representing them.

Arsenal fans absolutely losing it on this thread.

*Viera says something almost entirely irrelevant to Arsenal*

...Arsenal fan goes nuts because Viera is talking

Vieira's role at City is to basically be paid a substantial amount of moolah just to make a lot of noise about them every couple of months

Yeah, Viera is talking crap tbh. Although anything Howard Webb is a bit suss, that guy is going to be the EPL's Calciopoli

his points arent all that irrelevant

Comes off all butt hurt, all teams will have bad calls throughout the season unless there is actual evidence stop crying like a 10 year old who got one less lolly than another kid.

I love the "I don't want to talk about it..... but" comments

El Chelsea Fuerte wrote: Traitor? Seriously? You should be giving him legendary status for convincing City to cough up £25m for Nasri

He's a legendary player no doubt. one of the most dominant in his position. I appreciate what he did for us and how awesome he was.

With that said , the $ for Nasri isn't the point, Nasri was leaving either way. Vieira snubbed us for City for the same job. $ talks i guess. when i called him a traitor i didn't mean for it to sound as bad as it probably did, but he did go there for the money and we could have used him, but instead he will just criticize the club.

Arsenal fans aren't 'losing it'. im calm

I appreciate what he did as a player for us but him talking like some City big-shot is funny regardless, especially when he's whining. I also agree with this:

Emaharg wrote:Comes off all butt hurt, all teams will have bad calls throughout the season unless there is actual evidence stop crying like a 10 year old who got one less lolly than another kid.

Lol a conspiracy what a joke. Like the other clubs don't get wrong calls.

And for what bad calls is he talking about bar the Kompany one?